Trapped: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 5

After 12 years of secret training, Atticus O’Sullivan is finally ready to bind his apprentice, Granuaile, to the earth and double the number of Druids in the world. But on the eve of the ritual, the world that thought he was dead abruptly discovers that he’s still alive, and they would much rather he return to the grave. Having no other choice, Atticus, his trusted Irish wolfhound, Oberon, and Granuaile travel to the base of Mount Olympus, where the Roman god Bacchus is anxious to take his sworn revenge - but he’ll have to get in line behind an ancient vampire, a band of dark elves, and an old god of mischief.

For those of you have have read the previous IDC-books, this is more of the same. And by that I mean, more of the same awesomeness. Oberon is very present in this book and that adds to the story in a very sausage and beef way.

For those who haven't read the previous IDC-books, aww... I wish I had five unread IDC books, I would feel like the richest man on earth. Buy and listen to:Hounded, Hexed, Hammered and Tricked first and enjoy!

An Unwelcome Quest: Magic 2.0, Book 3

Ever since Martin Banks and his fellow computer geeks discovered that reality is just a computer program to be happily hacked, they've been jaunting back and forth through time, posing as medieval wizards and having the epic adventures that other nerds can only dream of having. But even in their wildest fantasies, they never expected to end up at the mercy of the former apprentice whom they sent to prison for gross misuse of magic and all-around evil behavior.

Key of Valor: Key Trilogy, Book 3

Zoe has the courage to raise her young son alone, and to face all the adversity life has thrown at them. But will she have the courage to face a foe determined to do anything to stop the third key from being found - even destroying everything and everyone she loves?

The Hard Way: A Jack Reacher Novel, Book 10

Jack Reacher was alone, the way he liked it, soaking up the hot, electric New York City night, watching a man cross the street to a parked Mercedes and drive it away. The car contained one million dollars in ransom money. And Edward Lane, the man who paid it, will pay even more to get his family back. Lane runs a highly illegal soldiers-for-hire operation. He will use any amount of money and any tool to find his beautiful wife and child. And then he’ll turn Jack Reacher loose with a vengeance - because Reacher is the best man hunter in the world.

NPCs

What happens when the haggling is done and the shops are closed? When the quest has been given, the steeds saddled, and the adventurers are off to their next encounter? They keep the world running, the food cooked, and the horses shoed, yet what adventurer has ever spared a thought or concern for the Non-Player Characters? In the town of Maplebark, four such NPCs settle in for a night of actively ignoring the adventurers drinking in the tavern when things go quickly and fatally awry.

Impulse

Cent has a secret. She lives in isolation, with her parents, hiding from the people who took her father captive and tortured him to gain control over his ability to teleport, and from the government agencies who want to use his talent. Cent has seen the world, but only from the safety of her parents' arms. She's teleported more than anyone on Earth, except for her mother and father, but she's never been able to do it herself. Her life has never been in danger. Until the day when she went snowboarding without permission and triggered an avalanche. When the snow and ice thundered down on her, she suddenly found herself in her own bedroom.

I first discovered Steven Gould’s Jumper Series from one of Audible's sales. I really liked the first two installments, but I found the second book "Reflex" a tough read since it took me to some really dark places. The third book "Impulse" is more like the first book and a very enjoyable listen. I would have preferred if they had kept Macleod Andrews for Davys voice and let Emily do Milly and Cent (she does an excellent job, but for me it was a bit distracting). Although the book is a coming-of-age story of many sorts, I still found it intriguing. It was with some dread I listened to the book since I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I am satisfied how things plays out.

Regarding my choice of headline... Come on, Mr. Gould. Three Jumper-books in more than two decades, I am sure you could cut the time between books in half. :)

Killing Floor

All is not well in Margrave, Georgia. The sleepy, forgotten town hasn't seen a crime in decades, but within the span of three days it witnesses events that leave everyone stunned. An unidentified man is found beaten and shot to death on a lonely country road.

This was my first Jack Reacher book and, if my memory serves me right, also my first Lee Child book. I thought the narrator did a fine job given the material, but the book could have been much better with more editing. I lost track of the authors abuse of ending many dialogue lines with "..., right?" I find it highly unlikely that all these characters would use that kind of language given their varying background. Since I usually keep to the less "gory" side of the mystery/techno/thriller aisle I was kind of put off by the gratuitous violence which in many situations seemed overkill. Some readers will probably find that kind of gory detail exhilarating, but I did not care for it. To end this review on a more positive note, I found the storyline somewhat plausible and it could work both geographically and chronologically.

14

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.

I won't give the story away in my review. I will summarize the books in three short statements.

1. The book is sometimes mind-bogging.2. The book is sometimes nightmare inducing.3. The book is not just a book.

The book has been compared with Lost, in someways the comparison is true, but in others false. Where Lost doled out nuggets here and there "14" is not the same. If you have an open mind or just enjoy getting lost in a great story, listen to "14". I would, however, advice against listening to it shortly before bedtime. Especially while staring into the glowing embers of a fire.

Jumper

What if you could go anywhere in the world, in the blink of an eye? Where would you go? What would you do?Davy can teleport. To survive, Davy must learn to use and control his power in a world that is more violent and complex than he ever imagined. But mere survival is not enough for him. Davy wants to find others like himself, others who can Jump.

I stumbled upon Steven Goulds books in the Jumper series through one of Audible's sales. I bought the second book (Reflex) at the sale and then bought the first one. Jumper is not an easy listen, it is sometimes a very heavy experience. So if you are the kind of listener who only wants to be excited and never saddened, you should perhaps look elsewhere. All things considered, I still loved the book as well as the sequel.

Since I don't believe in spoilers I won't give away the story. Instead I will borrow a phrase from one of my favorite tv-shows: "You'll laugh, you'll cry, it will change your life".

Fuzzy Nation

In John Scalzi's re-imagining of H. Beam Piper's 1962 sci-fi classic Little Fuzzy, written with the full cooperation of the Piper Estate, Jack Holloway works alone for reasons he doesnt care to talk about. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorps headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporations headquarters on Earth, Jack is content as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his past, thats not up for discussion.

Where does Fuzzy Nation rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

Among other recent books I have listened to (Royal Spyness series and the Iron Druid Chronicles) it's up there with the very best. It was quite a different different read from "Agent to the Stars" (also written by Scalzi and narrated by Will Wheaton), adding more dept and drama while sacrificing some of the comedy. Even though Scalzi's books take place in a science-fiction setting, they have a take home message with is applicable to life on earth in the year 2012.

What other book might you compare Fuzzy Nation to and why?

It's like an amalgamation of a story concerning exploitation of the new world with HHGTTG.

What does Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi (Introduction) bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Everything. Just take my word for it since I don't want to spoil the story.

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